Israel gunboats attacks fishermen and human rights monitors

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Israeli gunboats have attacked fishermen and human rights monitors aboard a boat off the coast of the besieged Gaza Strip. An Israeli navy vessel targeted the members of the Civil Peace Service, aboard the Oliva boat which monitors human rights conditions of the fishermen in Gaza, for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday, a Press TV correspondent reported. The Israeli boat surrounded the Oliva closely, creating turbulence in the water in an attempt to capsize the monitoring vessel. “We are here between one and one and a half miles off the coast of Gaza. Under the terms of the Oslo Agreement, Palestinian fishermen are supposed to be able to utilize 20 nautical miles for fishing,” said Joe Catron of the Civil Peace Service. “You completely see the Zionist navy harassing fishermen, creating waves in an attempt to capsize their boats,” he further added. A Gazan fisherman said they face extreme difficulties to provide for their families because of the three-nautical-mile restriction imposed by Israel. In recent days, Israeli gunboats have been firing their machine guns and water cannons at fishermen and international activists. “Clearly, they (Israelis) are trying to get rid of us. They do not want the Oliva to watch what they do as we are a human rights monitoring organization,” said Alix Robinson of the Civil Peace Service. The Israeli regime laid an economic siege on the Gaza Strip in June 2007 after the democratically-elected Hamas lawmakers took over the administration of the enclave. The blockade has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the impoverished territory. Some 1.5 million people are being denied their basic rights, including the freedom of movement and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and education./129